Forgotten Photo Studio

Chapter 162 The Extraordinary Truth

The morning sunlight lazily streamed through the old glass windows of the photo studio facing the street, spreading warm dappled light across the dust-covered wooden floor.

A soft noise came from the kitchen. When Xu Yan walked in, he saw Chen Zhiwei tiptoeing to reach the tea canister on the top shelf of the cabinet, the hem of her plain-colored dress slightly lifted with the movement.

“Let me do it.” He walked naturally behind her, easily took the jar from her hand, but deliberately didn’t put it in her waiting palm. Instead, he raised it a little higher, looked down and asked with a smile, “Who said last night that they wanted me to see their family’s secret recipe for tea eggs today?”

Chen Zhiwei's ears turned slightly red as she reached out to grab the jar, but he switched it to his other hand. "The recipe is Grandpa's," she retorted softly, a faint smile playing at the corners of her eyes, "but the cooking time is mine."

Xu Yan then handed the jar to her and took the heavy pot from her hands, saying, "Then I'll be in charge of tasting it."

He placed the small pot on the coffee table in the living room and watched her intently mixing spices. A few strands of hair slipped from behind her ears, gleaming softly in the morning light.

“Hair,” he reminded him.

Chen Zhiwei was gently placing the eggs into the pot without looking up: "Your hands are dirty."

Xu Yan then naturally reached out and gently tucked the few strands of her loose hair back behind her ear with the back of his fingers.

His fingertips inadvertently touched her warm earlobe, and both of them paused slightly.

“Let’s go to Liuquan Market tonight,” Xu Yan said, picking up a boiled egg and gently cracking its shell on the table. “Besides inquiring about the Soul-Suppressing Iron, the money the Han family gave you should also be used to buy you some suitable talismans and cinnabar.”

Chen Zhiwei casually placed the first peeled egg into his bowl: "I have enough talismans. But you, you should get a new coat, the cuffs are all worn out."

“This is comfortable to wear,” Xu Yan said, looking at her long eyelashes as she looked down. “It’s like a tea egg someone made; it looks ordinary, but once you’ve tasted it, you won’t forget it.”

Just as Chen Zhiwei was about to speak, the old-fashioned rotary telephone on the table suddenly rang, its crisp ring instantly shattering the warm tranquility.

Xu Yan frowned slightly, put down the egg, and reached for the receiver: "Hello?"

"Yan-ge! It's me, A-Zhe!" A-Zhe's signature, slightly urgent voice came through the receiver. "Is it... convenient for you to talk?"

Xu Yan looked up and met Chen Zhiwei's questioning gaze. He gently shook his head at her to indicate that he was fine, and then said into the microphone, "Is it convenient? Why are you calling at this hour?"

Hearing this, Chen Zhiwei nodded knowingly and continued to slowly peel the eggshell, but her attention was clearly half-diverted to the call on the other end.

“I’ve run into a tricky problem,” A-Zhe said quickly, as if he had a lot to say, “It’s the underlying architecture of that ‘data bomb’! A few key parameters are stuck, and I need to look up some basic research data on the nature of psionic energy and the topology of energy fields to move forward. But my crappy bronze terminal has too low an access level; I can’t even get to the core database…”

He paused, then asked tentatively, "Brother Yan, could I... borrow your silver terminal for a moment? I just need to check something, it'll be quick!"

As Xu Yan listened, her fingers unconsciously tapped on the scratched wooden tabletop.

He glanced at Chen Zhiwei, who was casually placing the peeled eggs into his bowl, and then spoke into the microphone:

"Perfect timing, Zhiwei and I also need to talk to you about something."

He said succinctly, "Let's come to the photo studio and talk in detail when we meet."

"Great! I'll be right there!" Ah Zhe's voice instantly brightened, and the call was immediately disconnected, leaving a busy tone.

Xu Yan put down the receiver, and Chen Zhiwei pushed a bowl of tea eggs in front of him, asking softly, "A-Zhe? So early, did you encounter any obstacles in your research?"

“Hmm,” Xu Yan picked up his chopsticks, “The bottleneck of the data bomb is that it requires higher access to information. You’ve come at the right time. We can also discuss some ideas about the intelligence channel provided by the Han family.”

The morning light still quietly filled the room, but the originally leisurely morning had been given a new variation.

Less than half an hour later, the door of the photo studio was pushed open with a "bang," and Ah Zhe, with his messy hair, rushed in.

His eyes were bloodshot, and the label on his coat was on backwards. He exuded both exhaustion and excitement after staying up all night.

"Brother Yan, Sister Zhiwei!" His voice was a little hoarse as he plopped down on an empty chair next to the coffee table.

Seeing his expression, Chen Zhiwei gently shook her head, got up to pour him a glass of warm water, and asked with concern, "Have you had breakfast?"

"Huh? Breakfast?" A Zhe was taken aback for a moment, then scratched his head sheepishly, "I forgot... I was busy staring at the data all night."

Chen Zhiwei didn't say anything more, turned around and went into the kitchen. She quickly brought out a warm tea egg and a bowl of steaming white porridge, and gently placed them in front of A Zhe.

"Eat something first, to fill your stomach before we talk."

Looking at the simple breakfast in front of him, Ah Zhe showed a grateful expression. Without being polite, he picked up a spoon and took a big gulp of porridge. The warmth in his stomach made him feel more relaxed.

Xu Yan watched quietly until he had taken a few bites before asking, "Is the research on the data bomb stalled?"

"That's right,"

Ah Zhe swallowed the food in his mouth, sighed heavily, and then his eyes lit up with that focused light when he was deep in thought.

He put down his spoon, picked up his tablet computer, and said as he turned it on:

"Brother Yan, Sister Zhiwei, I have a preliminary idea, but it needs to be verified. If what I say is true, then everything in our world, including energy, matter, and even rules, can be understood as being composed of 'data' on a deeper level..."

He quickly brought up some complex charts and hierarchical models, then turned the screen toward the two of them.

"So, what are those ghosts and evil spirits? Could their 'supernatural' characteristics be a form of 'anti-data' or 'abnormal data'?"

As he spoke, he swiped his finger across the screen, constructing a theoretical framework:
“Look, from the weakest F-level wandering spirits (weak energy disturbances), to E-level ghosts (capable of creating stable illusions and interfering with sensory data), to D-level (capable of materializing and directly interfering with 'data' at the physical level), C-level (causing regional environmental anomalies and rewriting local 'rule data'), and even the legendary B-level (rule infection, capable of replicating psionic runes and mimicking the operation of the gold-level law layer), and even A-level precursors (infinite consciousness erosion, transforming the reality dimension into a ghost realm)... their harmfulness can essentially be seen as the ever-increasing complexity and intensity of their 'abnormal data' and their ability to cover and distort the reality's 'basic data'!”

Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei leaned forward simultaneously, carefully examining the model on the screen. They exchanged a glance and saw surprise and agreement in each other's eyes.

This perspective is very novel, and it seems logically consistent.

A Zhe became more and more excited as he spoke, his finger rapidly swiping across the tablet screen to draw a virtual energy flow diagram:
"On the other hand, the talismans, magical artifacts, and spells used by various schools of ghost hunters—" He suddenly grabbed a blank yellow paper from the table and shook it vigorously, "Aren't they essentially calling up some kind of 'positive data'?"

He put down the yellow paper and tapped his fingertips heavily on the diagram of the talisman's structure displayed on the tablet screen:
"Just like repairing a program to fight a virus! Why are high-level magic weapons so powerful?" He picked up the Soul-Suppressing Bell that Chen Zhiwei had placed on the corner of the table and shook it gently, raising his voice in a clear tone, "It's because the amount of 'data' it carries is much larger, and the data structure is more sophisticated!"

Xu Yan suddenly reached out and pressed down on his trembling wrist:
"Speak slowly, finish your porridge."

Chen Zhiwei pushed the half-bowl of porridge in front of him at the right moment, her eyes filled with a knowing smile.

Ah Zhe then realized he had been too excited, and embarrassedly grabbed the spoon, gulping down a few mouthfuls before eagerly looking up, his eyes shining:
“If this theory holds true, our data bomb can be completely disguised as—” He reached out and drew a virtual talisman in the air, “a talisman! A brand new talisman implemented using algorithms and energy encoding!”

Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei exchanged a glance and saw that Chen Zhiwei's fingertips were unconsciously tracing the path that A Zhe had just drawn on the table.

Xu Yan released A Zhe's wrist and was about to speak when he saw Chen Zhiwei take out a yellowish "Five Thunder Talisman" from the talisman bag and gently press it on the table.

“Wait a minute,” she said, her fingertips tracing the winding cinnabar patterns on the talisman paper. “When drawing a talisman, each stroke must be infused with a specific spiritual energy frequency, just like the grammatical rules that need to be followed when writing a program.” She looked up at A-Zhe, her eyes flashing with thoughtful light. “The algorithm encoding you mentioned does have something in common with the rhythm of ‘the strokes break but the meaning remains connected’ in talismans.”

She flipped the talisman over, pointing to the intricate energy circuits on the back: "When the talisman takes effect, these patterns are like pre-set circuits, guiding spiritual energy to operate along specific paths. If this process were digitized..." She paused, a look of amazement gradually appearing in her eyes, "it might truly break through the limitations of traditional talismans on materials and the skill of the talisman artist."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yan gently clapped his hands:

"A brilliant idea!"

Chen Zhiwei solemnly pushed the Five Thunder Talisman in front of A Zhe, her tone filled with unprecedented approval:
"Reconstructing the origin of symbols with numbers...this idea of ​​transformation is indeed ingenious."

The excitement on Ah Zhe's face gradually subsided, turning into deep thought.

He put down the bowl of porridge, his fingers unconsciously rubbing against the edge of the tablet.

“However,” he paused for a moment, tapping the screen to bring up a complex energy waveform, “there is still a key problem that needs to be solved with this idea.”

He turned the tablet toward Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei, the screen displaying side-by-side the energy spectrum of traditional talismans and the energy records from the contractor's battle.

“I’ve studied a lot of combat data,” A-Zhe said, his fingertips moving between two sets of waveforms. “The contractor’s power system, at the Bronze level, is all about mission-based ranking; the more missions you complete, the higher your rank. But from Silver to Gold, there’s a clear, strict rank division. Behind this ranking system, there must be some unified support system.”

He paused, his gaze becoming focused: "I've heard that advancing to the Silver rank involves 'spiritual energy infusion.' Is this infused spiritual energy the foundation that supports the entire ranking system?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhiwei gently put down the Soul-Suppressing Bell in her hand, lost in thought.

A-Zhe continued his analysis, his tone becoming increasingly rigorous: "If this hypothesis holds true, then the core question is," he emphasized, circling the area of ​​difference between the two waveforms with his fingertip, "is the 'spiritual energy' they infuse truly the same thing as the 'spiritual energy' we traditionally manipulate with talismans? Although both are called spiritual energy, their energy characteristics have subtle differences."

He looked up, his gaze intense as he looked at Xu Yan: "Brother Yan, this is the main reason I'm here today. I want to borrow your terminal to find out the most crucial issue."

"Psionic Infusion."

Xu Yan repeated the word, her fingertips tapping lightly on the table.

He exchanged a glance with Chen Zhiwei, and they both recalled the words that Supervisor Lin Lan had deliberately left after the ceremony on the day they were promoted to Silver rank.

“No need to investigate.” Xu Yan looked directly at A Zhe, his voice low. “Lin Lan did mention this to us.”

Ah Zhe immediately held his breath, not even caring that the tablet screen would automatically turn off.

"The center's contractor system follows the route of 'psychic infusion, life leap'," Xu Yan recalled every detail at the time. "The first formal infusion is only performed when advancing to Silver rank. It is said that this can fundamentally improve one's life level."

He paused, then clearly stated the key information: "The energy used for infusion, according to Lin Lan, is the purest spiritual energy extracted from the bodies of captured and purified ghosts."

"what?!"

A Zhe suddenly stood up, the chair scraping against the floor with a screeching sound.

He grabbed the tablet lying on the table, his fingers trembling with shock: "The contractor's source of power is ghost energy? Doesn't that mean..."

His gaze darted rapidly between Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei, finally settling on the talisman pouch Chen Zhiwei carried. His voice trembled with excitement: "You can use talismans meant to fight ghosts to deal with contractors who have received this kind of infusion?!"

This conclusion caused the air in the room to freeze instantly.

At this moment, Chen Zhiwei spoke, her voice still calm, yet carrying a certainty based on rich practical experience:
"In theory, the power of talismans is indeed mainly aimed at evil spirits. However, in actual application, when a ghost possesses a person, the exorcism talismans and talismans we use still target the possessing ghost, rather than the life force of the possessed person."

While talismans directly targeting 'people' do exist, that's a completely different and far more dangerous system, usually considered taboo. As far as I know, the vast majority of authentic, inherited talismans ultimately target 'ghosts,' not 'people' themselves.

Chen Zhiwei gently untied the talisman pouch from her waist. It was an old item left to her by her grandfather, with fine cloud patterns embroidered on the dark brown fabric.

She took out two completely different talismans and placed them flat on the table.

“Look at this one,” she said, lightly touching the vermilion-painted “exorcism talisman” on the left. The edges of the talisman were slightly curled from frequent use. “It does work on ghosts possessing people, but its mechanism of action is to dispel abnormal energy.”

Her fingers traced the strokes of the rune representing "purification," "like shattering glass with sound waves of a specific frequency without damaging the container holding the glass."

Then, she moved her right hand toward the dark-colored, strangely stained talisman on the right, but kept it at a distance, as if she didn't want to touch it.

“And this ‘Soul-Eating Talisman’,” she lowered her voice, “belongs to a different system, capable of directly eroding the very essence of life. But each time it is used, the caster's mind will suffer a backlash.”

She pushed the two talismans forward side by side, her gaze clear: "The vast majority of orthodox talismans are ultimately aimed at the 'ghost' itself."

Xu Yan nodded thoughtfully, unconsciously touching his chest.

The enhancement brought by the silver-level infusion was indeed pure, and he did not feel the "evil" aura pointed to by the talisman.

"But the very fact that the 'center' uses ghost energy is suspicious enough."

Ah Zhe pointed at the two talismans, his brows furrowed.

Xu Yan took out the upgraded terminal; its smooth metal lines gleamed with a cold luster in the morning light.

"The center's official definition is the most crucial."

Ah Zhe's eyes immediately lit up, and his body unconsciously leaned forward:
"This is a Silver-level terminal? I heard its processing speed and database permissions are dozens of times faster than Bronze-level terminals."

The moment the "Center" emblem lit up on the screen, Xu Yan took a deep breath and typed "[Psionic Infusion]" into the search box.

No search results found.

A cold notification popped up, and the three of them froze simultaneously.

"Even a silver-level access controller can't find it?" A-Zhe's voice was full of disappointment. "This is a silver-level terminal!"

Just as the air seemed to freeze, Xu Yan took out another device from his pocket—the bird emblem of the Han Group was faintly visible on its matte black casing.

"Han's internal intelligence system?!" A Zhe almost jumped up from his chair. "Their intelligence network is so powerful that even major forces can't buy access to it for a fortune! It's said that even some top-tier figures privately buy intelligence from them."

"The more the center tries to block information," Xu Yan said, his fingertips lightly tracing the cold metal casing, "the more a large corporation like the Han family will spare no expense to crack it."

He pressed the start button, and the blue light emanating from the screen illuminated his determined eyes.

He solemnly typed four words into the search box again:

[Psionic Infusion]

Xu Yan tapped her fingertip to confirm.

The terminal screen provided by Han Wenshan instantly switched to an encrypted entry marked with a red label that read "Viewable only by regional managers and above".

The three of them immediately focused their attention on that direction, holding their breath in concentration.

The cold, austere text on the screen appeared line by line, accompanied by Ah Zhe's unconscious whispered reading:

"【Psionic Infusion】...Definition: The 'Center' core empowerment system infuses highly purified, de-consciousness-free psionic energy into qualified contractors, guiding their life forms to undergo a directional leap...breaking through mortal limits and mastering supernatural power."

"Energy source: mainly from high-concentration abnormal energy bodies that have been captured and purified... commonly known as 'ghosts'."

When he read this line, A Zhe's voice paused noticeably. He looked up and exchanged a glance with Xu Yan. His previous guess was confirmed by the cold technical document.

Chen Zhiwei's fingertips gently brushed over the exorcism talisman she had placed on the table, her brows furrowing slightly.

The descriptions of "purification" and "de-consciousness" in the document form a subtle contradiction with her understanding of the nature of ghosts as filled with resentment.

“Look here,” Xu Yan pointed to the section about Silver-level, his voice deep, “The spiritual energy essence purified from E-level ghosts… the success rate of infusion and subsequent growth depends on the contractor’s individual genetic sequence, physique’s affinity for spiritual energy, carrying capacity limit, and conversion efficiency. This is the foundational stage, and the carrying capacity limit determines whether we can reach the Gold Barrier. So this is the cornerstone of our Silver-level power.”

For the first time, he felt that the sensation of psionic energy flowing through his body was no longer like warm light, but rather like some kind of memory wriggling.

Those energies breathe and whisper.

A Zhe scrolled through the screen rapidly, his breathing becoming rapid as he delved deeper into the content.

"Gold level... My God, Gold Level III corresponds to D-level ghost psionic energy, and its combat power is roughly equivalent to ten mature D-level threat entities."

"Gold II is C-rank, but Gold I..." He gasped, "...is actually B-rank ghost-purified psionic energy! And it even mentions the ability to construct a 'law' domain?"

Gold-level abilities are incredibly diverse. Although their core energy originates from ghosts, the derived laws and abilities vary depending on individual constitution, career path, and comprehension. Their threat and difficulty are generally higher than those of ghosts of the corresponding level. "This means that every gold-level powerhouse possesses the full essence of multiple ghosts of the corresponding level within their body."

Chen Zhiwei's voice carried a hint of coldness as she looked at Xu Yan, her eyes filled with even deeper worry.

"Grandpa didn't let us get close to the center, not because he was afraid we would die, but because he was afraid we would see it—and after seeing it, how could we live on?"

This means that Xu Yan's future path to advancement will essentially involve merging with the more terrifying origin of ghosts.

Even the usually composed Xu Yan's pupils contracted when he saw the description of the Platinum level.

"Requires reaching the peak of Gold I level... successfully absorbing and fusing the spiritual energy source of an A-level ghost... its power is enough to easily rewrite the realities of a large area, its will can radiate and influence all living beings, possessing a near-immortal lifespan and unimaginable power."

When Ah Zhe read these words aloud, his voice trembled slightly.

He looked up, his face filled with shock. "A-level ghosts... a world-ending threat... vying for strategic resources... 'gods' walking among humans?"

The impact of these words was so powerful that you could hear a pin drop in the entire room.

Current Status Note: A-level ghosts are a world-ending threat, extremely rare, and any sign of activity will inevitably trigger a full-scale hunt and struggle by all the top forces in the world (including but not limited to the "Center", major ancient families, and secret organizations).

Each A-grade psionic source signifies the birth of a potential platinum-level powerhouse, a strategic resource capable of influencing the world's格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall situation or structure of the world).

Xu Yan's fingertips tapped unconsciously on the table, and that deliberately sealed memory slowly surfaced.

He raised his eyes, looked at the two people in front of him, and said in a low voice:
“I think I’ve seen their psionic energy extraction base.”

Chen Zhiwei's hand, which was about to pick up the teacup, froze in mid-air. A Zhe suddenly looked up, and both of their faces were filled with astonishment.

“Cold Storage No. 7.” When Xu Yan uttered the name of the place, the air seemed to freeze. “That’s not an ordinary cold storage at all. I went inside once, and the equipment inside… seemed to be extracting something from those remnant souls.”

He paused, letting the information settle in silence, before throwing out even more startling speculations:
"Moreover, it might not be as simple as just psionic infusion." His gaze swept across the brightly lit city outside the window. "Have you ever wondered why this city's lighting system, air purification network, and even parts of its defense matrix have been able to operate stably year after year?"

Ah Zhe's breathing suddenly quickened; he had already guessed what Xu Yan was going to say.

“I suspect that a large part of the city’s basic energy supply depends on this refined spiritual energy.” Xu Yan’s voice carried a cold weight. “If they stop refining souls, the city’s energy network could very well collapse completely within three days.”

"So that means..." Chen Zhiwei's voice trembled slightly as she looked down at her hands, as if she were truly recognizing the world for the first time, "The air we breathe, the light we see, are all... the last heat emitted by corpses?"

This sentence plunged the room into a deathly silence.

A Zhe suddenly stood up and paced back and forth in the room: "Gold-level contractors control the upstream of psionic energy; they are the privileged class. Silver-level and below are merely passive consumers." He suddenly stopped and looked at Xu Yan, "And the 'cleaner' you once worked for... was someone who recycled remnant souls at the very bottom."

Xu Yan nodded slowly; this realization weighed heavily on everyone's heart like a boulder.

This document not only reveals the truth about the power system, but also depicts a cruel pyramid fueled by ghosts, from the lowest level of cleaners to the elite privileged class.

The three of them were standing at the bottom of the pyramid, seeing for the first time its bloody construction.

A deathly silence enveloped the photo studio; the sound of traffic outside the window seemed to come from another world.

The tablet computer in A Zhe's hand slid onto the table with a "thud," the cracked lines on the screen mirroring the collapse of his understanding at that moment.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out; only his Adam's apple bobbed violently up and down.

“This is impossible…” he finally managed to squeeze out in a hoarse voice, “I thought it was some kind of energy conversion… but this is simply, simply…” He suddenly grabbed his hair, “Turning ghosts into fuel? This is more absurd than the craziest science fiction concept!”

The Soul-Suppressing Bell in Chen Zhiwei's hand emitted a soft buzzing sound.

She slowly raised the bell to her eyes, gazing at the ancient patterns on it, her voice trembling with disbelief: "Every talisman and every incantation I learned since childhood was meant to purify and expel these evil things. But now you're telling me... the most powerful superhumans actually use these evil things as the source of their power?"

Her fingertips unconsciously traced the surface of the bell, as if confirming whether these thousand-year-old techniques still held any meaning.

Xu Yan slowly closed his eyes, feeling the spiritual energy flowing within his body.

That power that had once made him feel at ease now felt like a foreign object lurking in his veins. He finally understood the true meaning of Supervisor Lin Lan's words, "This path is not beautiful."

“Every time we advance…” Xu Yan opened his eyes, his voice terrifyingly low, “it’s about nurturing an even more powerful ghost within us. We’re not evolving, we’re…” He couldn’t find the right words.

"It's becoming a vessel!" A-Zhe blurted out, but a terrifying light suddenly flashed in his eyes. "Wait... if that's the case..."

He grabbed the broken tablet, ignoring the cuts from the shattered screen, and swiped it rapidly:

“Since all the contractors’ power originates from ghosts, their psionic structures must retain the characteristics of ‘abnormal data’! My data bomb doesn’t need a redesigned attack pattern—it only needs to identify and amplify this characteristic!”

His voice trembled with excitement: "It's like finding a universal signature for the virus! No matter what form it disguises itself in, its essence is still that ghost! Brother Yan, this discovery is crucial! We don't need to design different bombs for each person; we just need a universal trigger that can identify the 'ghost's essence'!"

This unexpected breakthrough set the frozen air in motion again.

Ah Zhe was completely immersed in the fervor of the technological breakthrough; the shock he had felt earlier had been replaced by the passion for research.

Looking at A Zhe's excited expression, and then at Chen Zhiwei's still solemn face, Xu Yan slowly said:

"Yes, according to this definition... our Silver-level power is essentially the purified psionic energy of 'E-level ghosts'."

He spoke these words with utmost calmness, yet they caused the Soul-Suppressing Bell in Chen Zhiwei's hand to ring out once more.

The moment Xu Yan finished speaking, a sudden change occurred!

A sudden, burning pain shot through the skin beneath his right sleeve. The dormant "Abyss" seemed to be thoroughly enraged by the term "ghostly psychic energy," or perhaps it had caught a whiff of the "fragrance" of a power of the same origin, and began to stir wildly.

"Uh!"

Xu Yan groaned and suddenly clutched his right arm. The sleeve of his right arm ripped open, revealing bluish-black lines beneath his skin that writhed wildly like awakened venomous snakes.

That wasn't a simple spread; it was some kind of living thing struggling beneath the skin to break free.

Muscle fibers are forcibly twisted and reorganized, and bones emit a tooth-grinding grinding sound.

Where the black lines passed, the blood vessels bulged and throbbed, as if dark blood was surging within them.

"Brother!"

Chen Zhiwei's expression changed drastically, and he stepped forward without hesitation.

The Soul-Suppressing Bell in his left hand shook rapidly, and the clear, melodious sound of the bell transformed into a solid silver halo, attempting to envelop Xu Yan's entire body and suppress the rampaging alien power.
At the same time, his right hand held a "Mind-Cleansing Talisman" that exuded a calming and tranquil aura. With a flash of light at his fingertips, the talisman spontaneously combusted without wind, transforming into a soft blue light that shone directly on Xu Yan's brow, helping him stabilize his consciousness.

Without hesitation, she pressed the Soul-Suppressing Bell to her heart and used her lifeblood to activate its sound.

The silver halo became dazzling, but it still couldn't stop the black patterns from climbing upwards like vines.

"Brother Yan!" A-Zhe jumped up in surprise, frantically pulling a modified psionic damper from his toolbox. "Hold on! I'll use this..."

He quickly attached the damper to Xu Yan's left shoulder, attempting to create an interference field.

Ah Zhe's face turned deathly pale, but his professional instincts forced him to suppress his fear and observe carefully: "Wait... these patterns are reorganizing! It's mimicking the trajectory of psionic energy!"

He abruptly pulled out the detector, and the data flashing on the screen made him gasp. "It's learning... learning how to break the seal!"

However, the moment the device emitted a faint glow, the numbers on the screen instantly spiked to red, and a piercing overload shriek emanated from within—

"boom!"

With a soft crack, the damper casing split open, emitting a wisp of smoke, rendering it completely unusable.

"No! Its energy level is too high! It's not even in the same league!"

Ah Zhe was horrified, looking at the terrifying patterns on Xu Yan's arm that seemed to have their own life, and felt a sense of powerlessness.

Xu Yan clenched his teeth, veins bulged on his forehead, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

He could clearly sense the "Abyss's" anger and...greed?
It seemed to utterly loathe its power being defined as "ghostly psychic energy," yet it also desperately wanted to devour more and break free from the constraints of this body.

The edges of his vision began to turn blood red, and an impulse to destroy everything kept assaulting his rational defenses.

His right arm seemed to no longer belong to him, but had become a ferocious beast eager to devour its prey.

Xu Yan's vision began to blur. In the midst of the excruciating pain, he felt as if he had returned to that underground iron coffin area, back to the moment he was on the verge of death.

"I've finally got a second chance." He bit his lip, blood trickling down his jaw. "It can't end like this."

Chen Zhiwei's Soul-Suppressing Bell and Heart-Cleansing Talisman were like pebbles thrown into a raging sea; they could create ripples, but could not quell the anger of the entire ocean.

A resolute glint flashed in Chen Zhiwei's eyes.

She suddenly bit her fingertip, using her blood as ink to draw symbols in the air:
"With my lifeblood, I draw upon the righteous energy of heaven and earth!"

The moment the blood talisman took shape, the air in the entire photo studio seemed to tremble.

"Knowing the subtle signs is unacceptable!"

Xu Yan wanted to stop it, but found that she couldn't even raise her hand.

He watched helplessly as Chen Zhiwei's face became transparent at a visible speed, clearly indicating that she was overdrawing her spiritual energy to resist.

At this critical moment, the wildly spreading bluish-black lines suddenly stopped just as they were about to climb up Xu Yan's neck.

Like a tide encountering an invisible dam, they twisted and throbbed violently, as if gathering strength for a final sprint, but in the end, the terrifying spread abruptly stopped.

“It’s reached its limit.” A-Zhe stared intently at the monitor. “The energy output is decreasing, but it has remembered the path of this breakthrough.”

The eerie light on the patterns flickered erratically, and the violent aura receded like the tide, slowly subsiding and retracting back into the right arm. However, its color seemed to be darker, and the patterns were more complex, like a deeper mark left after an unsuccessful attack.

Chen Zhiwei collapsed to her knees, exhausted, but Xu Yan caught her in time.

The moment they embraced, they could feel each other's rapid heartbeats.

The suffocating pressure inside the room suddenly eased.

Ah Zhe, still shaken, looked at the wrecked damper on the ground, then at Xu Yan's arm, which had returned to normal but looked even more eerie. His voice trembled with lingering fear:

"It...it seemed like it wanted to break free completely just now! But...it didn't have enough energy? Or rather, it realized that it couldn't completely break through the combined suppression of you and the Soul-Suppressing Bell, so...it chose to remain dormant for the time being?"

“It’s not out of control,” Xu Yan said hoarsely, looking at his still slightly trembling arm. “It’s evolving.”

Ah Zhe carefully picked up the broken damper from the ground, his fingers gently tracing the cracked casing, but his eyes were unusually bright:
“I recorded all the energy fluctuation data. These waveforms might help us create a suppressor specifically targeting ‘it’.”

Xu Yan did not respond immediately. He turned to Chen Zhiwei, whose face was pale, and gently brushed away the strands of hair on her forehead that were damp with sweat. His voice was low and gentle:
"You used up too much energy helping me just now."

Chen Zhiwei shook her head slightly, wanting to say something, but was stopped by Xu Yan.

He took out the Spirit-Nourishing Jade and placed it in her hand: "Don't speak yet, focus on regulating your breathing."

Only then did Xu Yan turn back to A Zhe, closing his eyes to feel the abyss-like power lurking deep within his right arm, his voice hoarse:

"It is waiting. Waiting for greater strength, or... waiting for me to become weaker."

He stared at his right arm, which had just gone out of control, his eyes filled with an unprecedented seriousness.

"Soul-Suppressing Iron"

The moment those three words left his mouth, A Zhe abruptly raised his head, a look of surprise and uncertainty flashing across his face: "Soul-Suppressing Iron? Are you sure it's that legendary thing that buried gods and killed immortals? I've seen records of it in ancient books and fragments, but everyone says it's just a legend."

Xu Yan looked him straight in the eye: "What do you know?"

Ah Zhe took a deep breath: "Legend has it that the Soul-Suppressing Iron was a treasure used in ancient times to suppress gods and demons, but whether it was used to bury gods or kill immortals is unclear. I only know that without sufficient strength, touching it is tantamount to courting death."

Looking at the lines on Xu Yan's right arm that hadn't completely faded, he suddenly understood something. "That thing inside you... it's definitely not something that can be dealt with by ordinary means."

Xu Yan did not deny it, but silently took out the terminal and quickly operated it a few times.

A Zhe's personal device immediately beeped.

He looked down and his pupils contracted slightly—there was an extra sum of money in his account, enough for him to focus on his research for six months.

"One hundred thousand. Don't refuse." Xu Yan's voice left no room for argument. "This money may not solve all the problems, but it's enough to keep you from worrying about making a living for the time being. Please give it your all to the research on the data bomb."

Ah Zhe looked at the account balance, then looked up at Xu Yan's determined eyes, and finally nodded solemnly: "I understand. I will use this money where it is most needed."

Before leaving, A Zhe turned to Chen Zhiwei, who was meditating, and said, "Sister Zhiwei, get some rest. I'll let you know about the progress of the data bomb as soon as possible."

Although Chen Zhiwei was pale, she still gave him a gentle smile: "Be careful on the road."

The door closed gently, leaving only two people in the photo studio.

Xu Yan immediately sat down next to Chen Zhiwei, gently placing his palm on her back and slowly channeling gentle spiritual energy into her.

"Don't push yourself like that next time." His voice was filled with heartache. "Seeing you exhaust your life force is even more painful than when 'Abyss' flares up."

Chen Zhiwei leaned on his shoulder, feeling the warmth flowing through her veins, and whispered, "If it were you, you would make the same choice."

Xu Yan looked down at her tired yet gentle profile, and the hardest part of his heart seemed to be touched.

He gently pulled her into his arms and placed a tender kiss on her hair.

“After we get back from Liuquan Village, we’ll rest for a few days,” he promised. “Just the two of us.”

Outside the window, night deepened. But for the two people leaning on each other, the warmth of this moment was enough to temporarily dispel all the gloom.

The search for the Soul-Suppressing Iron is no longer just about suppressing the "Abyss," but also about survival, and about avoiding being devoured by the unknown terror within the body.

Tonight's trip to "Liuquanji" is becoming increasingly significant and urgent.

Inside the photo studio, the initial shock of learning the truth about the world has been replaced by a more visceral and urgent existential crisis.

The shadow not only shrouds the world, but also takes deep root within Xu Yan's body.

(End of this chapter)